Without the element of Humility in Spiritualism, any progress on the path of spiritual awakening is impossible. Holy Guru Granth Sahib is replete with exhortations asking us to get rid of 'Ego' in order to make any progress in the spiritual path. Ego, out of all the Five Evils, is the last and the toughest to be overcome by the aspiring disciple treading on the path of Spiritualism. But one has to prepare himself to combat with this demon at much earlier stages of the spiritual practice. Humility is an essential tool in this direction. But one has to adopt his own method to achieve this goal.
Guru Nanak in one of his hymns, emphasised that humility should be ornamented into one's personality, since it is a pre-requisite for the spiritual progress. In the beginning of the shabad, which is in the form of relationship of a bride and her beloved, Guru Nanak urges the bride - the human person - to awaken from the deep slumber of ignorance, adorn herself in humility, so that one becomes worthy of being accepted by the beloved(God):
"Ek na bharia gunn kar dhova
Mera shahu jagge haon nisbhar sovan (I)
Eiu kion kant piari hovan
Shahu jagge haon nis bhar sovan (I Pause) "
"Not with one fault alone am I soild:
How with merits may I then purify myself?
The Lord is awake, while I the whole night keep asleep (1)
How with this may I win the spouse's love,
When, with the Lord awake, I the whole night keep asleep (pause I)"
Hope and aspiration to meet God is always there, even if subtly present, in the soul of man. At times he longs with vigour, for meeting the beloved and to quench his age-long thirst for the holy communion; but not succeeding, he turns his mind deep into his own self, only to find that he has wasted the precious life for the pursuit of unnecessary worldly pleasures. He then repents, since the youth time is lost.
"Aas piasi sejai awan
Aaage shahu bhava ke na bhanva (2)
Kia jana kia hoega ri mai
Har darshan bin rahen na jaee(1 Pause).
Prem na chakhia meri tisna bhujanee
Gaia so joban dhan pachotanee"
"Thirsting with desire his couch I approach,
Not knowing if I please the Lord or not?
Mother mine! what know I, what will be my destiny?
Without the Lord's sight is life for me unbearable.
His love have I not tasted:
Unstaked Is my yearning.
As has youth passed full of
Regrets, so is the woman in repentance."
Deep into his/her mind, the aspirant realises that the time that is wasted is gone for ever. Now let me take guidance from Guru, so that he can save me from drowning in this avaricious ocean and lift me out of this mire. And so does the Guru enlightens his mind and he starts detaching himself from the obsessive "I-am-ness" which engrosses him in the worldly affairs; and then generates the state of 'Vairag' - the sublime pain every one experiences during separation from his true beloved one.
"Ajai so jago aas piasi
Bhaile udasi rahon nerasi (I pause)"
"Even now thirsting with desire
Should I wake up, from the world turn away,
And of desire denude myself,
O my mind, what makes you so arrogant?"
These worldly achievements, all are lost in this worldly gamble the moment the eyes are closed. However, the Guru has been warning us all through the life that one thing which will benefit you here and hereafter is the wealth of virtues: God is quite synonymous with a virtuous and pious living. Lift your mind from the petty praises of the self, broaden your outlook to develop humility, so as to encompass the respect of the entire creation of God. God is pleased only if you have discarded the arrogant nature of the mind and in fact complete surrender of 'Ego' :
"Haumai khoe kare sigaar
Tao kaman seje rave bhater (4)
Tao Nanak kante mann bhave
Chhod wadai apne khasam samave"(1Pause)(26)
"Should the bride discard egoism and this way deck herself,
Shall the spouse bless her in couch (4)
Then alone, saith Nanak, shall he
Win the spouse's heart,
And, discarding pride, in Him be absorbed".
Thus, to be accepted in the eyes of God, I must adorn myself with humility, and discarding ego discipline my mind, for absolute surrender unto His will.
Duncan Gleenlees, in his book The Gospel of peace According to Guru Granth Sahib felicitously comments on a number of hymns that dwell on the theme of spiritual courtship, under the heading - 'Union with the Beloved'. Collecting various hymns from throughout the pages of the Guru Granth sahib; he devides this theme into sequential sub-heads and enumerates them in the following order-
1. The Beloved is near.
2. The Bride longs for him.
3. It is he who calls and adorns her.
4. How to win his love?
5. A virtuous Bride's Joy.
6. The spiritual marriage.
7. The Bliss of Eternal Union.
Partly summarizing this theme, he says 'It is true that all God's children have equal claims upon Him, but he draws into the intimacy of perfect communion only those whom he himself has beautified with virtue, to whom he has revealed himself as the source of all goodness and all beauty ........ The soul who would win God's love must make herself so small that she is like a slender thread on which to thread his heart ....... All the coarseness of the Ego must be refined away and the spirit becomes subtle (tancemanasi) ......Ever watchful of His pleasure, she does all to please Him and remain always obedient at His feet like the perfect wife; He in his turn lavishes on her richest affection of his heart, for none can be so dear to Him as the perfect devotee, who is filled with reverent love - (full of humility).
(Translation of the hymn by G. S. Talib)